Small wheeled containers with extended rigid handles, commonly known as shopping trolleys, are well known as a more convenient alternative to shopping bags that are carried by hand. In typical use, trolleys are rolled to a store, loaded with goods, and then rolled home. Shopping trolleys facilitate shoppers purchasing larger and heavier items, which are often more economical, without the strain of carrying these items home by hand.
A common type of shopping trolley comprises a top-opening fabric bag, a rigid frame, at least two wheels, and an extended rigid handle. Beyond these basic features, there are many variations, including collapsible frames, retractable handles, and swivel caster wheels.
While current shopping trolleys are useful, they have a number of deficiencies. Most glaringly, current trolleys are primarily designed to be rolled, with little consideration for being lifted or carried for extended periods of time. It would often be desirable for a trolley to be carried over the shoulder in an agile, hands-free, and space efficient manner while shopping or while en route to a store, as opposed to having one's hands tied up rolling around an empty trolley. This is especially true in crowded urban markets and sidewalks, where shopping trolleys are typically used.
Current trolleys must either be carried awkwardly by their extended rigid handles, or for those that have them, carried with a secondary set of tote handles which are typically made of flexible fabric or fabric-encased rope or tubing. The primary rigid handles are typically not at all suitable to be used as a shoulder strap, being rigid and improperly shaped. The secondary tote handles typically have insufficient drop length to be used as a shoulder strap, and when carried as such, the primary handle becomes an awkward protrusion.
The extended rigid handles on current trolleys are typically supported by bulky rigid frames, often comprising metal tubing, that are uncomfortable to carry. They create uncomfortable protrusions against the body, and do not have any compliance that would allow them to more comfortably conform to the body. While some trolleys can collapse to a more compact configuration, the folding process is often cumbersome and time consuming. Those that do not collapse at all are less convenient to store while not in use, and can be cumbersome to carry.
Current trolleys are also awkward to lift, owing to their primary rigid handles typically being fully offset to one side of the trolley, rather than being centered, leading to an awkward swinging of the trolley when lifted. Trolleys with secondary tote handles can be easier to lift, but one must then inconveniently switch between the primary rigid handle for rolling the trolley, and the secondary tote handles for lifting the trolley. When lifting with the secondary tote handles, the primary rigid handle often awkwardly protrudes and pokes at the user, unless it is inconveniently retracted. Constantly switching between the primary and secondary handles is especially inconvenient in urban environments where obstacles requiring lifting the trolley, such as stairs and curbs, are frequently encountered.
An offset primary rigid handle also blocks access to the container from one side, and asymmetrically forces use of the trolley from a specific side. While some trolleys include means to telescopically retract the rigid handle, it is inconvenient to do so repeatedly, and a retractable mechanism adds complexity and cost.
Some trolleys omit the primary rigid handle entirely and have only flexible tote handles, but these tote handles, having no stiffness, provide extremely slack and sloppy maneuvering of the rolling trolley.
Current trolleys can be difficult to maneuver while rolling in crowded environments. Many trolleys cannot roll laterally, limiting their agility and maneuverability. In addition, many trolleys require being toggled between a tilted position in order to roll, and an upright position to rest, further limiting maneuverability.
In addition, the bags on many trolleys are inconvenient or impossible to remove from the frames, making the bags difficult to wash. The bags and frames are also often not easily separable or individually replaceable for purposes such as cleaning, adding modular functionality, improving aesthetics, or facilitating repair.
Finally, the odd, shoddy appearance of many shopping trolleys, attributable to both their peculiar designs and their manner of use, as compared to typical non-rolling shopping bags, have led to them carrying a stigma, making many hesitant to purchase or use them.